Latest news with #ArmyStaffofPakistan
Hindustan Times
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Beyond Munir's nuclear bluster
Beyond Munir's nuclear bluster FILE PHOTO: Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Asim Munir holds a microphone during his visit at the Tilla Field Firing Ranges (TFFR) to witness the Exercise Hammer Strike, a high-intensity field training exercise conducted by the Pakistan Army's Mangla Strike Corps, in Mangla, Pakistan May 1, 2025. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo (via REUTERS) Nuclear sabre rattling apart, his latest speech shows Pak terror threat for India is still a live one Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reportedly used his second visit to the US in two months to make a nuclear threat against India and the world. He said his military can destroy any dams built on cross-border rivers following India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. The Pakistani military's media arm has not provided much information about Munir's interaction with the diaspora in Florida, where he reportedly made these remarks, but they are in line with his stated position towards India. Munir said that if Pakistan faces an existential threat in any future war, it will take down not just India but 'half the world' with its nuclear weapons. He also pointedly mentioned during his speech how Pakistan is like a 'dump truck full of gravel' that can obstruct a speeding car, a metaphor for India's economic growth and the stakes involved. In that sense, Munir is right — Pakistan has long stalled the realisation of South Asia's true economic and strategic potential, with its policies of backing cross-border terrorism against Afghanistan and India, meddling in other spheres, and engaging in the reckless proliferation of nuclear weapons and missiles. There are obvious domestic considerations behind Munir's jingoistic rhetoric, including the consolidation of his position following his elevation to field marshal after four days of hostilities with India in May. The days of coups by the Pakistan army appear to be over as the military has learnt how to direct foreign and security policy while remaining behind the facade of weak and under-performing civilian governments. Munir also needs to buttress the standing of the Pakistan Army in the face of continuing pressure from former premier Imran Khan's band of devoted followers in Pakistan and abroad. Few in India have forgotten that the Pahalgam terror attack came less than a week after Munir's speech in which he referred to Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein', remarks that he repeated at the Florida event. This should be taken as an indication that the threat to India from Pakistan's jihadi and terrorist infrastructure — always backed by its military — remains a live one. The Indian government has already made it clear through Operation Sindoor that it will not give in to Pakistan's nuclear sabre-rattling and blackmail, but the country must remain on guard for further misadventures by Munir and others of his ilk. The US needs to urgently rethink its embrace of the warmongering field marshal.
The Star
11-08-2025
- Politics
- The Star
India decries 'sabre rattling' after Pakistan army chief's reported nuclear remarks
Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Asim Munir holds a microphone during his visit at the Tilla Field Firing Ranges (TFFR) in Mangla, Pakistan May 1, 2025. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India on Monday accused its neighbour Pakistan of "sabre rattling" and "irresponsibility" after media reports on remarks about nuclear threats in South Asia made by Pakistan's army chief while on a visit to the U.S. Indian media reports, citing sources, quoted Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir as saying: "We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us". Pakistan's military and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Munir's comments. An excerpt of his speech shared by Pakistani security officials did not include the "nuclear nation" remarks. Munir reportedly made the remarks at a black-tie dinner hosted by a Pakistani-origin businessman in Florida on Saturday, where he spoke to a crowd of more than 100 people. Reuters could not independently verify the remarks. India and Pakistan both possess nuclear weapons and fought their deadliest battle in decades in May, sparked by an attack on tourists the previous month in Indian Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of India's foreign ministry, said: "Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan's stock-in-trade," adding: "The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks." He said it was also regrettable that the reported remarks should have been made while in a friendly third country. In a version of the speech shared by Pakistani security officials, Munir said: "The (Indian) aggression has brought the region to the brink of a dangerously escalating war, where a bilateral conflict due to any miscalculation will be a grave mistake." Munir was on a visit to the U.S. to attend a farewell event for General Michael Kurilla, the 15th commander of the United States Central Command. India previously lodged a private diplomatic protest with Washington when President Donald Trump hosted Munir for a lunch at the White House in June. Analysts have said that India's disagreement with Washington over the May 10 ceasefire with Pakistan, and Trump's renewed engagement with Islamabad, have contributed to a recent setback in ties between India and the U.S. under the Trump administration. (Reporting by Shivam Patel in New Delhi and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Hindustan Times
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Asim Munir threatens India with ‘jugular vein' remark in US, says ‘no shortage of resources to…'
Pakistan army chief Syed Asim Munir yet again repeated the anti-India rhetoric, this time in the United States. While reiterating his 'juglar vein' remark he claimed that Kashmir is not New Delhi's internal matter but an unresolved international issue. Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Asim Munir holds a microphone during his visit at the Tilla Field Firing Ranges (TFFR) to witness the Exercise Hammer Strike, a high-intensity field training exercise conducted by the Pakistan Army's Mangla Strike Corps, in Mangla, Pakistan.(Reuters) The remarks came as over the weekend, Munir visited two US cities before travelling to Brussels on Sunday, marking his second high-profile trip to Washington in less than two months. At a black-tie dinner in Washington DC hosted by Adnan Asad, Pakistan's honorary consul in Tampa, Munir said the Indus River 'is not the Indians' family property' and claimed Islamabad had 'no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river,' according to The Dawn cited by news agency ANI. Speaking during his ongoing visit to the US, he said, 'We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it,' Pakistan-based media outlet ARY News reported on Monday, citing remarks at an event in Tampa, Florida. Asim Munir was in Tampa for attending the US Central Command (CENTCOM) change of command ceremony, where Admiral Brad Cooper took over from General Michael E Kurilla. Reiterates 'jugular vein' comment on Kashmir Munir repeated his earlier description of Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein,' asserting that it is not India's internal matter but 'an unresolved international issue.' He also accused India of 'aggression under Operation Sindoor,' calling it a 'grave violation' of Pakistan's sovereignty. 'A bilateral conflict due to any mistake by India would be a huge blunder,' Munir was quoted as saying by ARY News. He claimed Pakistan's response had averted a wider conflict and thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in reducing tensions between the two countries. India rejects Pakistan's claims India has previously dismissed Munir's 'jugular vein' remarks as baseless. Following similar comments by Munir in April before Pahalgam attack, India's ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, 'How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein?" He added, 'This is a union territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country.' Jaiswal also rejected suggestions of US mediation in the India-Pakistan ceasefire, stating that the agreement was reached through direct talks between the militaries of the two nations. (With ANI inputs)
Hindustan Times
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Is he worthy of lunch with Trump': Congress slams Pak Army chief Asim Munir's nuclear threat from US
Congress on Monday slammed Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir's nuclear threat against India, those who do not support India on 'Operation Sindoor' should also wake up. File photo: Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Asim Munir holds a microphone during his visit at the Tilla Field Firing Ranges (TFFR)(REUTERS) Pakistani military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, made a threat from the United States, saying that Islamabad would take down "half the world" with it, if his country faces an existential threat in future with India. 'We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us,' reports quoted Asim Munir as saying at the event in Tampa. 'Direct threat to Trump', says Congress Backing Operation Sindoor and the Indian and the Indian Army, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said on Asim Munir's statement, 'We are very proud of our Indian army. Pakistan has been exposed. Now the whole world knows what intention Pakistan have. So the world should wake up. Those who do not support India on 'Operation Sindoor' should also wake up.' "We are confident that we will protect India, but this is a direct threat to Trump and Russia. Is the person who has threatened to destroy half the world worthy of sitting and eating lunch with you? Are you entertaining him? This is a dangerous statement. The United Nations Security Council should take cognisance of this," Tiwari said, speaking to ANI news agency. Another Congress MP, Sukhdeo Bhagat, said India knows its power, its limitations, and how to respond, adding that Munir's statement also threatens Donald Trump. "The clouds that thunder do not rain. India knows its power, its limitations, and how to respond. The way he (Asim Munir) is making all these statements while in America also threatens Trump. Speaking such violent words, and with Trump currently trying to portray himself as a peace messenger, raises the question of what Trump will say. Therefore, Trump should consider these things. India does not need to worry about them. India is capable of giving answers...," Sukhdeo Bhagat said. Addressing the Pakistani diaspora in Florida's Tampa, Asim Munir also repeated is anti-India rhetoric, saying "Kashmir is the jugular vein" of Pakistan". Weeks before the April 22 Pahalgam attack, Munir said Pakistan will not forget the issue of Kashmir, asserting, "It was our jugular vein." Trashing his comments, India had said, "How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a union territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country."
Express Tribune
25-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
China reiterates unwavering support for Pakistan
Listen to article China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has reiterated his country's unwavering support for Pakistan's efforts to combat all forms of terrorism and expressed confidence in the Pakistani military's continued role in ensuring safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institu-tions across Pakistan. The reaffirmation came during a high-level meeting between General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for For-eign Affairs, held in Beijing on Thursday. Congratulating General Munir on his recent elevation to the rank of Field Marshal, Wang Yi lauded Pakistan Army as a steadfast guardian of na-tional sovereignty and a strong pillar of the enduring China-Pakistan friendship. He expressed full confidence in the continued role of the Pa-kistani armed forces in advancing the strategic partnership between the two nations. Describing China and Pakistan as "ironclad friends" and "all-weather strategic partners," Wang emphasized that Pakistan remains a diplomat-ic priority for China. He affirmed China's readiness to work closely with Pakistan to implement the strategic consensus reached by the leader-ship of both countries, deepen bilateral cooperation, and jointly promote peace and stability in the region. General Munir, in turn, reaffirmed Pakistan's deep appreciation for Chi-na's long-standing and consistent support toward its socio-economic de-velopment. He reiterated the Pakistani military's firm commitment to en-suring the safety and security of Chinese nationals and enterprises in Pakistan. He also emphasized Pakistan's resolve to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with China as part of their shared vision for region-al peace and prosperity. Both sides exchanged views on key regional and international develop-ments and agreed to continue close coordination on matters of mutual concern.
